Forbidden Chemistry

Mr. Blackwood and his Thorn

Lucian Blackwood had always prided himself on his discipline—both in life and in the classroom. He wasn't the kind of teacher who let his students walk all over him. He set clear boundaries, firm rules, and expected nothing short of respect. For the most part, it worked. His students listened, absorbed his lessons, and, as a result, excelled. There was a structure to it all, a natural order.

That's why Astrid Monroe was becoming such a thorn in his side.

From the moment she entered his chemistry class, there had been a challenge in her. Not the intellectual challenge he admired in students eager to learn, but a challenge to his authority, his methods. It was in her eyes, the way she crossed her arms over her chest like a barricade whenever he spoke. As if she could block out his words if she just stood her ground long enough.

Lucian glanced at the clock on the wall, irritated even before the day's session had begun. He wasn't looking forward to another round with her. Sure, he'd agreed to help her—reluctantly—but he was already dreading the snark, the silent defiance, and the underlying tension that was now part of every encounter.

It wasn't the first time he'd dealt with difficult students, but none like Astrid. Most of them, especially the girls, either swooned over him, gushed at the opportunity for extra attention, or quietly accepted his lessons as the ultimate truth. They appreciated his knowledge and, quite frankly, his presence. Lucian wasn't oblivious to the way they looked at him. He had always been aware of his appearance—sharp suits, neatly trimmed beard, the kind of cold elegance that seemed to draw people in.

But Astrid? She was something else.

The door opened, and Lucian didn't even need to look up to know it was her. That signature defiance came in with her. Astrid dropped her bag onto the desk with a little more force than necessary and sat down without so much as a greeting.

"Miss Monroe," Lucian said, not bothering to hide his annoyance. "Right on time, as usual."

"Of course," Astrid replied flatly, not even sparing him a glance.

Lucian clenched his jaw, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. He hadn't even started the lesson, and already, she was testing him. He knew this was going to be another hour of thinly veiled disdain from both sides, but he couldn't let her get the upper hand.

Stepping in front of the board, he began writing out equations related to chemical bonding. His movements were precise, each number and symbol appearing neatly in chalk. He didn't say anything for a moment, letting the silence stretch out, forcing her to engage. When he finally turned around, Astrid was staring at the board, her expression unreadable but her body language already defensive.

"Let's begin," he said, crossing his arms. "Explain to me, in your own words, the process of ionic bonding."

Astrid shifted in her seat, clearly not eager to engage with him, but she complied nonetheless. "When atoms lose or gain electrons, they form ions. Opposite charges attract, and that creates the bond."

Lucian raised an eyebrow. Her answer was technically correct, but there was no depth to it—no nuance. She was only giving him the bare minimum, as if to say, there, I said it, now can we move on?

"Barely scratching the surface, Miss Monroe," he replied coolly. "That's the basic definition. What I'm asking for is an understanding of the electrostatic forces at work. Can you explain that, or would you prefer to gloss over the details?"

Astrid's lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes narrowing. "I understand it just fine."

"Then demonstrate it."

Lucian could see the irritation flicker across her face. She wasn't used to being questioned, at least not like this. Most teachers probably accepted her answers without pushing further, content with her natural intelligence. But Lucian wasn't most teachers, and Astrid wasn't going to coast through chemistry with half-baked responses. Not in his class.

He walked over to her desk, his gaze locked onto hers. "You can't get by on the bare minimum in my classroom. I won't let you. If you want to succeed, you're going to have to put in the work—real work."

Astrid's jaw tightened, and for a moment, he thought she might fire back a snarky remark, but instead, she just glared up at him. "I am working."

"Hardly," Lucian shot back. "You're trying to breeze through this with that same arrogance that works for you in every other subject. But this isn't history or literature. Chemistry doesn't care how clever you are. It cares about precision. And if you can't handle that, you're going to fail."

Her eyes flashed with anger, and for a split second, Lucian felt a twisted sense of satisfaction. He'd struck a nerve.

"Maybe if your explanations weren't so...condescending, I'd actually be able to understand what you're saying," Astrid snapped, sitting up straighter in her chair, defiant as ever. "Not everyone learns through intimidation."

Lucian's eyes narrowed. Intimidation? Was that how she saw his teaching? It was clear to him that she simply wasn't willing to admit her weaknesses. She was hiding behind her arrogance, just like every other student who couldn't handle being wrong.

"This isn't intimidation," Lucian replied, his voice low but firm. "This is reality. You can't charm your way through science, Miss Monroe. If you don't like how I teach, that's unfortunate, but the results speak for themselves."

He stepped back, leaning against his desk with his arms crossed, watching her carefully. She was different from his other students, and not just because of her attitude. It was the way she resisted him—how she refused to bend to his authority, and yet, there was something in her that was more intriguing than infuriating. As much as he hated to admit it, he found her defiance...challenging. In a way that made him want to push harder, to see just how far she could go before she finally cracked.

"I don't need to charm my way through anything," Astrid shot back, her voice colder now. "I'm capable of understanding this without your 'reality checks.' I just need a teacher who knows how to teach."

Lucian felt his temper flare. She had the nerve to call him a bad teacher? "Oh, I know how to teach, Miss Monroe. It's you who needs to learn how to listen."

Astrid scoffed, clearly unimpressed by his response. "Maybe if you didn't spend so much time lecturing me like I'm a child, I'd actually want to listen."

"Funny," Lucian said, a dark edge to his tone. "Because you certainly act like one."

The room fell silent for a moment, the tension between them so thick it was almost suffocating. Lucian could feel his patience slipping away, bit by bit. He had never met a student as infuriating as Astrid Monroe. Usually, girls like her—ones with intelligence and potential—thrived under his teaching. They respected him, admired him even. But not Astrid. She was determined to fight him at every turn.

He needed to find a way to handle her—to tame her wild defiance, for her own good. She might hate him for it, but he wasn't here to be liked. He was here to make sure she learned. And if that meant pushing her, even harder than he already had, then so be it.

"If you spent half as much energy focusing on chemistry as you do on fighting me," Lucian said, his voice low and cutting, "you might actually start seeing results."

Astrid stood abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor. Her cheeks were flushed with anger, but her eyes still held that defiant spark. "I don't need this," she muttered, gathering her books in a hurry.

Lucian straightened up, watching her closely. "Walking away won't solve your problems, Miss Monroe."

She paused at the door, her hand gripping the handle tightly. For a moment, he thought she might leave without another word, but then she turned to face him, her voice barely above a whisper. "You don't understand anything about me."

Lucian said nothing as she walked out of the room, the door closing softly behind her. He stood there, staring at the empty doorway, the sound of her words echoing in his mind.

He needed to tame her, but for the first time, Lucian felt a flicker of doubt.

Maybe he didn't understand her.